


Persona: Darkest Hour

by Gavo



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2019-10-10 20:21:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17432888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gavo/pseuds/Gavo
Summary: It's been one year since Yaldabaoth.  Five years since Izanami.  Seven years since Nyx.  And yet humanity's greatest demon has yet to show its face...until now.  His name is Sho Minazuki.  A broken Wild Card hellbent on thrusting the world into chaos and disorder.  And the only ones who can stop him are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, the former Investigation Team, and the Shadow Operatives.  Scattered across Japan, these Persona users must engage in a race against time to stop Sho from permanently recreating the world in his image.  All the while, a mysterious Persona user with a certain bird-shaped mask has reemerged to wage personal war with Sho.  With each tick of the clock, the world gets over closer to doomsday...





	1. Prologue

_ “Your story isn’t over yet, my other Trickster.” _

 

The cloaked figure roamed the twisted corridors with the conviction of a cat hunting her prey.  He had been searching the labyrinth of subway tunnels for quite some time now, but he felt like his destination was finally within reach.  And after entering a rather strange tunnel, he found his target.

 

The figure, dressed in a blue and black knightly suit, confronted his objective.  A tall, fair woman with chin-length black hair. She turned towards him, and seething yellow eyes went straight to her visitor.  Their eyes met, and a silent exchange was felt between them, as if they both knew how this was going to end.

 

Wakaba Isshiki’s Shadow didn’t put up much of a fight versus the raven-colored Metaverse killer.  It only took a few quick motions for her go to down, and she didn’t even transform into a monstrous form.  She simply...took it, all the while muttering about her work, and her daughter. As if those were the only two things keeping her going.  Soon, she was on her knees, defeated. The triumphant victor stood before her, staring her down with his maroon, hateful eyes. Pulling out his firearm, he trained the weapon at her head.  Wakaba began to cry, and repeated those harrowing words: “I’m sorry, Futaba.” The figure’s hand started to tremble, his conviction shaken. He could see it in her eyes, the face of a parent knowing they’re about to leave a child behind.  The killer recognized it all too well, it’s the very same face he saw Maigo Akechi make, before she turned a gun on herself and ended her own life right in front of her son. Goro didn’t remember much of his mother, but that image was one that burned itself into his mind for years.  He wasn’t just killing someone, he was separating a mother from her child. Yet only one phrase echoed through his mind: “One step closer. One...step....closer.” His eyes full of tears, his finger trembling on the trigger, Akechi could only cough out two words. Two words which would fill his vocabulary far too often.

_ “I’m sorry.” _

 

He pulled the trigger.  

 

* * *

  
  


September 7, 2017

 

Akechi jolted awake, the trigger pull yanking him out of his nightmare.  The nightmare which had become all too common for the former ace detective.  Sliding out of the bed of his apartment, he began to prepare himself breakfast.  It wasn’t long before the room began to fill with a blue smoke, and he knew it where this was going.  The door to his apartment swung open, the blue smoke and light pouring in. In it’s frame, Akechi saw a familiar silhouette of a small girl.  Her silver hair flowing in the air. Lavenza entered the apartment, and greeted the Wild Card. 

 

Lavenza: “You’re up early.  Nightmare again?”

 

Akechi: “You could say that.”

 

Lavenza: “Who was it this time?”

 

Akechi: “Does it matter?  It always ends the same way.”  

 

Lavenza: “Perhaps.  The fact that you remember the lives you helped end so vividly must mean something.”

 

Akechi: “It means I don’t deserve to be here.”

 

Lavenza didn’t have much of a comeback for that one.  She was still relatively new to being an attendant. After all, being split into two people wasn’t a very insightful experience for her, especially since she hardly remembers it.  Still, when the near-dead Goro Akechi showed up in the Velvet Room nine months ago, Lavenza took it as an opportunity. To make up for not being there for him the first time. He wasn’t the only one who earned a second chance that day.  

 

By the time Akechi had finished his toast, she had already changed his clothes into something a bit more suitable.  A simple red flannel shirt, blue jeans, and a grey jacket. Not very combat friendly, but it was what he preferred. Lavenza looked to him and asked, “Are you ready, performer?”  Akechi nodded, and spoke in a low tone. “When am I not?” The attendant giggled, and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the apartment around them shifted, and changed. The walls became dark blue, the bed and furniture fading away, leaving the two in an empty blue room.  It began to shift even further, and Akechi’s Velvet Room took shape. A stage formed around the two, with seats for an audience, a backstage, spotlights, and scaffoldings. And in the audience, was one person: The infamously long-nosed man, Igor.

 

_ “Entry one.  Over the past nine months, I have been serving my sentence as the performer for an audience that may never cheer.  When not performing, I’m sent out into numerous supernatural excursions where the goal is to stop any sort of Shadow-related dimensions and events from growing out of hand.  Whereas the Persona teams around the world take care of the large threats, I’m tasked with ending small problems before they became large ones. I’ve even had to venture into the real world with Lavenza to collect information.  She’s become somewhat of a friend to me, the only one I have, honestly. The last time I saw the Phantom Thieves, well, they were mourning me over a makeshift memorial in a park. Obviously they didn’t know I was there, but it’s best it stays that way.  I doubt they’ll ever want to see me again, after all. Anyway, I have a job to do, so this will be a monthly thing from now on. -G.A.”  _

 

Akechi finished writing his thoughts and put the notebook and pen in his back pocket.  Lavenza turned to him and smirked, remarking “Keeping a journal now, my attendee?” The boy turned back to her and smiled, a very rare sight to behold nowadays.  “I’d like whoever finds my corpse to be well-informed of how I got there.” Somehow, that is a line only an ace detective could pull off with a straight face. Lavenza then responded, “Well, while you prepare for your performance, I must go to see my master.”  The attendee nodded, and Lavenza walked backstage and up the stairs to the upper level, where Igor watched the performances from above. 

 

“You requested my presence, master?”, the silver haired girl sheepishly asked.  Her long-nosed master turned, and smiled. Igor is a genuinely good-natured person, but his frightening appearance and demeanor would lead many first-timers into believing he was a villain.  Regrettably, for Ren Amamiya, that demeanor proved indicative. Igor cleared his throat, and in his soft voice, spoke to her. “I have some alarming news. Something, no some _ one _ , has been killing Wild Cards across the world.”  Lavenza was taken aback, shock overtaking her body.  She always knew there were other Wild Cards, going through their own Fool’s Journey, with their own Velvet Room and Attendants.  But still, to think someone was powerful enough to be  _ killing _ them?  The thought haunts her.  But she has no time to feel for people she never knew.  She has a job to do.

 

Lavenza cleared her mind, and turned to her master, who was still awaiting her response.  “How many?”, she sternly asked. Igor closed his eyes and shook his head. Unlike the Attendants, Igor has a connection to each and every Wild Card.  He feels each and every one of their souls, yet he’s still only mortal. He can only be in one place at a time. Knowing that these Persona users, the people  _ he _ is supposed to be there for, are dying because he  _ wasn’t _ there, it pains him.  “Four.”, the long-nosed man managed to mutter out.  Lavenza clenched her small fists in silent rage. No matter what, this monster will be brought to justice.  Igor continued, “We must stay on guard at all times. We don’t know if this is a bloodthirsty individual looking for blood, or if they have a much larger motive.  Until then, we can’t go on the offensive.” The attendant nodded her head, and responded, “Thank you for telling me, Master. I will go alert Akechi at once.” Igor nodded his head, and Lavenza left the booth to tell the detective the alarming news.  

 

Per usual, Akechi was getting booed by the fake audience before him.  No matter what, it’s always the same reactions. Before he could go any further, he was stopped by his small friend, who seemed oddly tense.  “Lavenza, what is-”, the boy was cut off before he could even finish asking. “Akechi , we have an emergency. We need to stay on guard, someone has been k-”  It wasn’t long before she was cut off too. But not by Akechi, something else. The ground under the two began to rumble. The duo turned to a bright flashing light.  What appeared to be a door was forming. The door looked similar to the ones usually used to enter and exit the Velvet Room. But this was different. There were cracks and fissures around the door, it looked  _ unnatural, _ as if it was being forced into the room by an outside force.  The door finally stabilized, and it swung open. Akechi motioned for Lavenza to get behind him, as she clutched her book with fear.  Out stepped a fairly tall man, one whose sheer presence sent a shiver down Akechi’s spine. He had short, bright red hair, a green short-sleeved shirt, black pants with a jacket wrapped around his waist, and dual sheaths for what appeared to be swords.  His most noticeable feature was a massive, X-shaped scar across his face. His grey eyes pierced both Akechi and Lavenza, and he began to speak. 

 

“Well well, if it isn’t the ‘Prince of Darkness’ himself.  I was wondering how long it would take to find your room.”, the figure proudly announced.  Akechi stood his ground, and sternly responded, “So that’s the title I have now. Can’t say I haven’t earned it.  Just who are you?” Before the red-haired invader could even answer, Igor stood up, ready to use his power to expel this man before he could cause any damage.  However, the man raised his hand, and a mysterious red energy shot out and engulfed Igor. It continued to swarm around him until there was nothing left. 

 

“ **Master!!!** ”, Lavenza cried out, while Akechi stood in silent shock and anger.  He turned back to the figure, who stood with a sinister grin. “What the hell did you do to him?!”  The man chuckled, and politely responded. “Don’t worry, he ain’t dead or anything. I simply locked him out of the Velvet Realm.  I learned it from a mutual friend by the name of Yaldabaoth.” As he snickered, Lavenza’s eyes shot up as she heard that name. “Yaldabaoth…?  How…?”, she thought. She didn’t have time to ponder before the figure began to step forward further. Akechi put his hand up and yelled, “Don’t come any further!  How do you know Yaldabaoth?” Akechi didn’t quite fully understand what happened on Christmas Eve that fateful year, but he got the gist of it. The godlike entity behind everything attempted to bind the Metaverse and the real world together before the Phantom Thieves stopped him.  That was the synopsis he was given after waking up in the Velvet Room. He didn’t give much thought to it, but it seems maybe he should’ve. 

 

The man giggled and continued to goad.

???: “Turns out you weren’t his first choice of a Wild Card, Goro Akechi,  _ I was. _  But ultimately, he didn’t want me.  Said I was too unpredictable. But you?  Your weak mind made you easy to manipulate.  You were a pawn right in his hand, o’ chosen one.

Akechi: “T-that doesn’t matter!  Just who are you, and what do you want!?”

 

The figure sighed and smiled.  “Of course, where are my manners.  My name is Sho Minazuki, you may have heard of me.”  Akechi looked, confusedly, at Lavenza, who stared in utter disbelief.  “The lost Wild Card…” The former detective inquired, “What do you mean?”  Lavenza shook her head in fear. “Years ago, he rejected the offer of the Velvet Room, and went on his own path of destruction and chaos.  Five years ago he was stopped by another Wild Card, and hasn’t been heard from since.” Akechi, trying to process the situation, looked back to Sho, who was standing sincerely.  “Why are you killing other Wild Cards?” Sho continued to step forward and explain himself. “Well to put it simply, I’m looking for-” He stopped in his tracks, and his eyes lit up.  “- _ That. _ ”, the broken Fool said, pointing to book in Lavenza’s hands.  “Tell you what. Just hand the book and that girl over, and I will be on my way.”  Lavenza attempted to step forward, but Akechi moved to stay in front of her. “You’re not  _ touching her. _ ”  His face was stern and full of conviction, something he hadn’t felt in years.  Sho laughed and unsheathed his dual swords, “So what are you gonna do about it, pretty boy?”  Akechi stepped forward once more. His clothes began to rapidly change as blue flames engulfed his body.  When the flames settled, his clothes were gone. In their place was a white, red and gold cavalier suit, something familiar to him.  The most striking part was a red bird-like mask positioned over his eyes. Akechi pulled out a long, silver saber with a gold hilt, and the two Wild Cards charged at one another.  

 

One would expect that Akechi is at a disadvantage due to Sho having two swords as opposed to one, but somehow the former Phantom Thief manages to hold his own just fine.  The two repeatedly clash their blades, their styles vastly contrasting. Whereas Akechi’s movements are strong, disciplined, and precise, Sho swung wildly, aiming to simply do as much damage as possible without ever going on the defensive.  The two reached an impasse, and were a few feet apart. Deciding to take the opportunity to end the fight now, Lavenza pulled out her book, and tried to summon a Persona. Before she could, Sho swiftly threw one of his blades at her, piercing her left arm and downing the young Attendant.

 

“ _ Lavenza!!” _ , Akechi shouted.  Enraged that someone would dare hurt his friend, Akechi tore off his Crow mask, and shouted at the top of his lungs.  “ _ Robin Hood!  Eviscerate him! _ ”  The man in tights appeared in a flurry of blue flames behind Akechi, and raised his bow.  The golden arrow began to coat itself in a red Curse energy. Robin Hood released the string, sending the shot speeding at Sho.  Not being fast enough, it pierced right through his shoulder. “Aaggh!”, he yelled out. “Robin Hood, huh? That isn’t the Persona I’d expect from someone with  _ your _ reputation.”  Akechi’s eyes twitched, as he felt something within him began to take form.  Shaking it off, he responded to the maniac, “Robin Hood exists as my drive for justice.  He represents my goal to do good.” Sho laughed again, the two no longer fighting simply standing in a ready stance.  Sho then yelled at the top of his lungs, “Tsukiyomi! End him!” In an eruption of red flames behind him, the Moon God himself appeared behind him, and raised his massive black blade.  Him and Robin Hood charged at one another, their weapons clashing against one another. Meanwhile, Akechi and Sho continued to trade blows.

 

Sho: “You know, you should really be joining me, honestly.”

Akechi: “You?  You’re insane, I would never side with a monster like you.”

Sho: “Funny you say that, considering you  _ have _ sided with monsters like me before…”

Akechi: “Shut up, dammit!”

Sho: “Ha, you’re one to talk about monsters, how much blood is on your ledger?”

Akechi: “Enough.”

Sho: “Come on, you’ve filled enough graves to know what it’s like.  The  _ rush _ of knowing you conquered another human being’s life.”

Akechi: “It’s awful.  It’s enough to make me sick even now.”

 

Amidst this banter, Sho noticed something.  Akechi’s eyes were becoming sharper. They had even more conviction in them.  He also noticed he was beginning to swing more wildly, like him. Looking up at the two Personas clashing, he felt something was off.  Robin Hood was...shifting. A red hugh was enveloping the noble Persona, and was beginning to overpower Tsukiyomi. Sho began to smile.

 

Sho: “You know, you sure love to talk about how  _ you  _ felt.  But imagine how others felt.  From what I gathered, two of your victims were parents of  _ your own teammates,  _ no?”

Akechi: “I-”

Sho: “Imagine finding out your teammate, someone who you’re supposed to trust, is responsible for so much of the pain in your life?  How can you even live with yourself, honestly?”

 

The damage had been done.  He was over the edge. Robin Hood was gone.  In his place was the monstrous trickster, Loki.  Akechi’s princely outfit had become a jagged black and blue knight suit, his sword becoming serrated, and overpowering Sho’s own blade.  Loki was holding back Tsukiyomi with one hand while raising his massive red sword with the other, ready to tear through the moon god with.  Akechi was overpowering Sho himself, red flames engulfing his body. He finally spoke, his voice scratchy, filled with vitriol and hatred.  “ **_I don’t_ ** .”, the Wild Card hissed.  Sho began to laugh hysterically as Akechi drew the blade closer and closer to Sho’s chest.  “Finally! The  _ real _ Goro Akechi shows himself!  Go on, end it! You’ve earned my life, now take it!”  

 

Akechi was fully prepared to end him then and there.  This maniac whose caused so much chaos and death? Surely he deserved to die.  But the black-clad detective saw something. In the corner of his eye. The Attendant, his  _ friend, _ Lavenza, was lying on the ground, bleeding.  He remembered everything that led him to this point.  The pain he himself caused, his “sacrifice,” the kindness that this girl was willing to give him.  He had to come too far to throw that away and forsake her. 

 

Suddenly, Loki dissipated, along with Akechi’s Metaverse outfit, leaving him in the normal clothes he had before.  Sho stood up and called back his own Persona, and sighed. “Well, that was disappointing. And here I thought you and I would’ve made a good team.  But now I see why Yaldabaoth chose you.” Sho knelt down stared into the eyes of the weakened Akechi, and gave a snarling grin. “You’re  _ weak. _ ”  He then stood up, and plucked his blade from the ground.  “But...perhaps we could have one more test.” Sho turned towards Lavenza, who was regaining her consciousness.  It didn’t take long for Akechi to realize what he was planning. He then threw his sword, full speed, directly at Lavenza.  Before the blade impaled the small Attendant, Akechi had charged in front of her, taking the full impact of the blade going straight through his chest.

 

“Akechi!”, the girl shouted.  Her savior lay on the ground, a pool of blood forming around him as he clutched the blade, desperately trying to pull the sword out.  Sho chuckled as he walked towards the duo. Lavenza furiously looked towards the lost Wild Card, her eyes full of tears and hatred. “You  _ bastard! _ ”  She charged at him, and Sho swiftly punched her in the face, nearly knocking her out.  As both her and Akechi lay, barely conscious, Sho grabbed his fellow Wild Card by the throat and hoisted him in the air.  “Case closed…” The boy smirked. He grabbed the hilt of the blade, and plunged the sword even deeper into Akechi’s chest.  Crimson blood poured into the blue floor as he screamed in agony, while Lavenza, helpless to watch, cried in anguish. “...This is how your justice ends.”, Sho sneered as he dropped the dying boy to the ground.  “Ake-”, Lavanza tried to muster before she was once again silenced by a punch to the face. 

 

Sho, dragging Lavenza by the hair in one hand, and holding her book in the other, created another twisted doorway to leave Akechi’s Velvet Room.  He turned around one more time, smiling at his good work, before leaving. The door screamed shut, and Goro Akechi, once again, was left alone, forsaken, and dying.  He pathetically raised his hand to where the door once was, and coughed out his last words.

“Igor…”

“Ren…”

“Sae…”

“Phantom T-thieves…”

 

“Lavenza…”

 

_ “I’m sorry.” _

 


	2. Ignition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cogs of destiny have begun to turn. The pieces are in place, and the longest night in history has begun.

September 8, 2017

 

Inaba had never been much of a tourist spot.  Aside from the occasional kid staying with family, or disgruntled pop-star, it was a pretty closed off town.  And as it just so happens, it was about to get another few visitors. 

 

As the movie theater began to empty itself of the customers, two young adults strutted around the side towards the suburbs on the sidewalk.  A boy, wearing headphones around his neck with bright brown hair, seemed to have instigated an argument with the other. A shorter girl with similarly brown hair cut short, wearing a bright green sweater.  

 

“Look, Yosuke, you have to admit I have a point.”, the girl said.  The boy named Yosuke shook his head and rolled his eyes. “No, you really don’t, Chie.”  The girl huffed and groaned, frustrated with his response. 

Chie: “Look, all I’m saying is that having hair just puts you at a strategic disadvantage!  Look at all those monks who kick ass at martial arts, they don’t have hair! Don’t you think there’s a reason for that?”

Yosuke: “Bruce Lee?  Jackie Chan? Those guys have hair.”

Chie: “Pffft, those guys are posers.”

Yosuke: “Doesn’t change the fact that with a buzzcut, you could look like an egg.  A small, angry egg.”

Chie: “Oh, damn you!”

 

At this point Chie has already elbowed Yosuke in the stomach, who is reeling in pain.  Passing by a back alley, the two hear a rather loud crashing sound, followed by an eerie blue light reflecting across the rapidly approaching dusk in Inaba.  “The hell was that?”, Yosuke while peering around the corner. “Well, I’m gonna go see!”, Chie exclaimed before sprinting towards the light at full speed. “Wait, Chie, don’t ju- UGH, this right here is why we broke up!”, before running after her.  The two Persona users suddenly stopped, frozen in awe at what they’re looking at. The Velvet Room attendant Elizabeth looked at the duo with a worried look in her eye. 

 

_ “I need your help.  Where is Yu Narukami?” _

 

* * *

 

 

As Teddie ran towards the Amagi Inn, he could already tell something was very, very wrong.  Yosuke rarely calls him, usually opting to text. So when his brother called him frantically going on about “Shadows” and “The Velvet Room,” he left his night shift at Junes as quickly as possible.  

 

Nearing the entrance to the inn, he ran into Yukiko Amagi and Fuuka Yamagishi.  “Yukiko? Fuuka-chan? What are you tw-”, the blonde boy tried asking before swiftly being cut off.  “Chie called. She said something involving Shadows and Personas was going to happen, and asked me to call the inn and rent a room for her.  I was going to drop Fuuka here off at the train station back to Tatsumi Port Island, but Chie insisted on her joining us.” Fuuka nodded at the two, and responded, “It’s been years since the Shadow Operatives have had anything to work on, and now something may be happening at the end of my vacation?  I couldn’t miss that. Besides, miss Satanaka said something about needing my medical skills.” Teddie, shivering gulped. “Well? No time to waste, guys!”, he nervously said. 

 

When the trio rushed into the room, there were a few things that were expected.  Elizabeth from the Velvet room, standing over a near-dead Goro Akechi while Chie and Yosuke kept watch on all windows, was definitely not one of them.  

 

* * *

 

It was glimmering night by the time the van had managed to pull into the parking lot of the convention center on the southern side of Tokyo.  Exiting from the vehicle were two boys, two girls, and a black cat. “I spent quite a bit for all your expensive tickets, it would be a shame if we were late!”, said Haru.  Ann scoffed and picked up Morgana, who growled in agitation. “If we  _ are late,  _ I think you can blame Ryuji’s slow-ass driving for being late.”, the twin-tailed Phantom Thief remarked.  Offended, Ryuji crossed his arms and yelled, “It ain’t my fault! I promised my mom I would drive safe!” The other three began to laugh at the delinquent.  Yusuke, collecting his camera from the van, walked towards the rest of the group, frowning. “It is quite a shame Futaba couldn’t make it to this concert, I know how much she enjoys Risette’s music…”, the artist lamented.  In response, Ryuji slung his arm over Yusuke’s shoulder and reassured him, “Trust me, your girlfriend is having the time of her life visiting Tatsumi Port Island with Ren and Makoto. And I promise you she would want you to be having fun tonight.”  Yusuke sighed, “I suppose you’re right.”

Ann:  “Alright Mona, you sure you can hold down the van for a couple hours?”

Morgana: “Of course, Lady Ann!  I’ll just be sleeping on the seats.”

Ryuji: “Alright then, we better get inside before the concert starts!”

Haru: “We’ll see you soon, Mona-chan!”

With that, the four young adults began to run towards the convention center entrance.  Making their way in, they arrived at the gates to their seats. Ryuji, jittering in an antsy fashion, crept up to Ann.  “Uh, I kinda have to use the bathroom.” The blonde sighed and pointed at the door, spouting to him, “We’ll hold your seat but make it quick!”  Ryuji nodded and began to sprint back to the entrance to find the bathroom. In his haste, he had stumbled forward, trampling another man. After regaining his bearings, Ryuji helped the man up.  He had peculiar silver hair, and looked to be in his early-to-mid twenties. “Sorry about that, sir!”, he said before rushing off. The man, confused, simply shrugged and walked away. 

It had only been about forty minutes after the group left that Morgana woke up.  Yawning, he looked out the window of the van and saw something looked off. The sky had a very slight red hue to it, and the air had become thicker.  However, that wasn’t the most striking part. Morgana looked down, and the worst he had feared was confirmed: He was in his Metaverse form. Frantically, Morgana exited the van, and immediately began to run towards the convention center.

 

* * *

 

_ *30 Minutes Earlier* _

 

The sun had begun to set on Tatsumi Port Island by the time Ren Ammamiya, Makoto Niijima, and Futaba Sakura had exited their hotel room to explore the downtown areas.  The crisp fall air stung their skin like needles, the cold only getting worse by the second. 

Makoto and Ren had traveled to this part of the country to celebrate the retirement of the former partner of Makoto’s father, although Futaba coming in was a rather “last minute” change.  As the trio walked through the bustling streets, Makoto and Futaba share their usual banter while Ren silently contemplates the atmosphere around them.

Makoto: “So, why exactly did you tag along with us?”

Futaba: “Well, I had never traveled out of Tokyo before, so I thought this was a good start!  Besides, Inari was getting into one of his ‘art blocks,’ and I hate those!” 

Makoto: “Well, that’s a pretty sound reasoning if you ask me.”

Ren: “Hey, Makoto, the celebration is pretty early in the morning, shouldn’t we be heading back to our room for the night?”

Makoto: “Well, yes, but that wasn’t the only reason we came here.  Come on, I have something to show you two.”

 

Without further delay, the three former Phantom Thieves eventually found themselves at the doorstep of a rather suspicious looking black building.  To the amazement of both Futaba and Ren, Makoto pulls out a keycard and scans it against a slot next to the entrance door. After the sound of an electronic lock goes off, the door swings open, and the trio enter the unfamiliar complex.  While Ren and Futaba carried an anxious demeanor, Makoto had a happy, almost smug expression to her face. Following a brief elevator ride, they exit to find something incredible. A massive control room, with dozens of workers at computer monitors and huge screens adorning the walls.  The room looked and felt like something straight out of a spy movie. 

 

Before long, a tall, looming woman with powerful red hair walked over to the trio, and proudly introduced herself.  “Greetings, Phantom Thieves. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo, founder and leader of the Shadow Operatives. We are a select few agents dedicated to the elimination of Shadows and Persona-related activity all across Japan and beyond.  We’ve had our eyes on you ever since the Okumura case.” While Futaba had already run off to inspect all the technology and computers in the room, Ren stood there completely stunned. “W-what the hell is happening here?” Mitsuru walked over to Makoto and placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Miss Niijima here somehow found a way to contact me, and together we discussed the potential of your team merging with ours.” With this, Makoto gave Ren a sharp smiles. However, this was not reciprocated, and Ren took her by the hand and the two walked into a hallway. “Give us a moment.”, he sharply said to the redhead.  

 

Futaba, after inspecting everything with a screen in the room, approached Mitsuru, her eyes completely lit.  “Kirijo-san, have things been busy for you lately?” Mitsuru looked up, collecting her thoughts, before looking back down at the orange haired girl and giving her answer.  “Things have been actually pretty quiet lately. Although…” Curious, Futaba jumped up at Mitsuru, questioning further. “C’mon, what is it?” Mitsuru sighed and placed her hand on her chin, responding to Futaba.  “Well, we’ve been getting reports of a rogue Persona user infiltrating all sorts of Shadow-related activity. Doing our job for us, in a way. Half the time the problems are solved before we even get there. Quite strange if you ask me.”  Futaba, looking downwards, readjusts her glasses before looking back at Mitsuru. “Yeah, sounds pretty crazy.”

 

Outside, Ren is rubbing the temple of his nose, clearly frustrated.  Makoto grabs him by the shoulder, asking, “What’s the matter with you?”

Ren: “Do you remember the promise your sister made to us after Yaldabaoth was destroyed?  That we wouldn’t have to fight anymore, that the battle was won, and that the adults would handle the world from here?”

Makoto: “I know, but please, this finally gives us a purpose again!  The chance to do real good again! Like...like we used to.”

Ren: “I thought we already had a purpose!  That the fight was done, and we could move on with our lives!  The Phantom Thieves were over, but we could still help the world the same way as everyone else!”

Makoto: “Ren, I thought you enjoyed being in the Metaverse!  That you truly became yourself in there!”

Ren: “Of course.  Being a Phantom Thief was the greatest thing that ever happened to me!  But that part of my life is done. I just...I just want to move on.”

Before Makoto could respond, the two knelt down in pain as a searing sensation tore through their senses while a faint red blur filled the air.  After helping Makoto up, Ren took her hand the two ran back to the control room to find both Futaba and Mitsuru similarly kneeling. Once the two of them began standing, a man ran over to Mitsuru to alert her of something.  “Kirijo-san, we’ve detected an enormous surge of supernatural energy!”

Grunting, Mitsuru grabbed the man by his shoulder with an iron grip.  “Where?”, her strained voice boomed. “Everywhere! The entire country!  Vietnam, too. Even some parts of Eastern China!” Before anymore could be said, an alarm began to blare on all systems, and red lights flashed all across the room.  “What’s happening?!”, shouted Ren, before the room began to shake beneath the sound of an explosion. “We’re under attack!”, yelled Mitsuru, who ran over to one of the computer monitors to see who their attackers were.  Once the figures came into view, all she could do was cup her hand over her mouth in pure shock and awe.

 

* * *

 

 

_ *10 Minutes Earlier* _

  
  


As raven-black night set over the quaint farmhouse, something sinister swept the air in the plains, akin to a sickness entering the body.  Nothing physical, simply the presence of one very evil man. Sho had exited the backdoor of the building, and headed towards the back of a small garden, the growing wind blasting his crimson hair, he finally came across a single marked grave.  The headstone simply had a name etched into the front: “Nakamura.” Sho, trembling as he drove his fingers across the worn name, took a seat next to it, facing the bright moon while black specks, the autumn leaves, obscured it’s pure light. “So, ‘Sho Nakamura.’  Nah, doesn’t have the same ring to it. I’ll stick to Minazuki.” He then turned ever so slightly towards the grave, facing it with a cold stare. “I found you,” the boy professed. “After all these years, I finally found you. It took a hell of a lot of digging, but I did it,  _ mother. _ ”

 

After hearing the words come from his own mouth, Sho scoffed and stood up, shaking his head in retaliation and pointing towards the headstone.  “Why am I even calling you that? You’re not her. You’re just a selfish woman who gave her child away to a maniac. You brought me into this world, and what did you do?  You didn’t raise me, you didn’t love me, you simply handed me off to that bastard Ikutsuki. And what did it amount to, huh? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I’m standing here, alive!  And where are you? In the ground,  _ beneath me! _ ”  Tears began to well up in the young man’s body, but he swiftly brushed them away, unsheathing his serrated blade.  The wind had begun to pick up immensely, leaves flew off the trees as lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the champion of darkness as he stood over the resting place of the woman who birthed him. 

 

“Look at me now, mother!  Are you proud yet!”, he screamed, the pounding of his voice clashing against the violent winds.  “I’ve come so far to finally meet you so I can say these words! I don’t need you! Hell, I’ve  _ never  _ needed you!  Every shitty thing ever done to me, was for a purpose.  To put me right here, exactly where I need to be!” With the sword in hand, Sho began to furiously hack away at the headstone with all his might.  “You hear me? I don’t need you, not now, not  _ ever!!!” _  Panting, Sho finally stood up straight and sheathed his blade, staring at the scattered pieces that once made up his mother’s grave.  Smiling he turns around, facing the house and the moon, which had since become obscured by a black stormcloud. “Don’t worry mother, when you see what happens tonight, you’ll be glad you’re dead.”, Sho smugly remarked as he re-entered the dilapidated house.

 

It was the thunderous boom of a lightning strike that awoke Lavenza from her unconsciousness.  Her eyes slowly creaking open, she realized that she certainly wasn’t in the Velvet Room anymore.  Binded to a chair with her arms restricted, Lavenza accepted that she had no means of escape, especially without access to her book.  Looking down, she saw her dress torn and hair disheveled, and turning her head up she saw the scenery of an old farmhouse worn by time.  Before anything else could happen, Sho re-entered the house just as torrential rain began to pound against the windows. 

 

“Where are we, Minazuki?”, Lavenza demanded, her eyes searing with anger.  After all, it’s not every day someone gets the best of the Velvet Room. “Nowhere you need to know about.  Oh, and just call me Sho. That guy, Minazuki, he ain’t here anymore. I just keep the name ‘cuz it sounds cool.”, the villainous boy sneered.  “Now, where were we?”, he continued, before pulling out a small, withered spellbook of his own. “I know you’re absolutely never gonna give me the spell to what I need, so I’m just gonna have to get it myself.  However, I’m gonna need to boy myself some time.” Before Lavenza could respond, Sho recited a spell, one that the young Attendant had never heard before:  _ “Magitaktaren.” _  Soon, a black and crimson energy pulsed from the book and filled the air around the two, and before long, it expanded out of the farmhouse and into the air, spreading rapidly all across the fields before escaping over the horizon.  

 

Horrified, Lavenza turned back towards her smug captor.  “What did you just do, monster?” Sho, simply putting the book away and sitting in an old rocking chair, laughed.  “Isn’t it obvious? I need a diversion. Several. I have a being from the Velvet Room in my living room, after all!  So, I just unleashed a spell that allows any schmuck with a Persona the ability to use their powers in the real world.  Besides, if there is anything Yu Narukami taught me…” Sho stood up from his chair and stood face-to-face with Lavenza, their eyes locked to one another.  “It’s that it is quite important to have friends.”

 

* * *

  
  


Back in the downtown streets of Inaba, a black and blue portal opens itself up in the middle of a bustling walkway.  Two young adults exited this strange portal, with sinister looks on their faces. The shorter one, a male wearing a grey pea coat with brown shaggy hair, held cleavers in both his hands.  The slightly taller one, a female with shortly cropped silver hair, was wearing a far more complex outfit consisting of a slim red velvet dress with white highlights, a black corset wrapped around her torso, and pink fingerless gloves carrying a cane with a serrated end.  Most striking about the two was their masks: the male had what seemed to be a pair of black tinted goggles with a crack in the left lens, whereas the female had a red mask made of what seemed to be ribbons, attached to crown adorning her head. As the duo strolled down the sidewalks, the woman spoke to the man in a course, scratchy voice.  “Remember what the boss said, all we gotta do is cause some havoc.” In response, the man simply gave a toothy grin, and a red fire began to envelop the two as their night of chaos began.

 

* * *

  
  


In Tokyo, the Risette concert seemed to have been put on hold as the main singer had collapsed in the middle of a song.  While she laid, grasping her head in pain as a red energy filled the air around the stadium, a blue and black portal tore itself right onto the stage.  Out stepped a tall, busty woman carrying an elegant bow in her hands. The woman was wearing an extravagant black gown adorned with orange and pink jewels, her long black hair extending far past her shoulders.  Atop her black lipstick and unnaturally pink cheeks, sat a black, monarch butterfly-shaped mask leaving her crimson eyes to be seen be all. The woman strutted over to the mic Risette once held, and made an announcement: “Citizens and spectators of Tokyo, fear not, for tonight is one of excitement and celebration!”  Immediately after this was said, red energy manifested all throughout the arena, and to the crippled Phantom Thieves’ horror while they sat helplessly in the stands, a swarm of Shadows poured onto the stage and seats.

 

* * *

  
  


Lavenza could only sit helplessly as the storm raged on and pure evil began to fill the skies around her.  Tears rolled down her face, the emotional pain overtaking her. She failed everyone, didn’t she? Akechi is dead, Igor is lost somewhere she couldn’t find, and the Phantom Thieves were condemned to failure without their leader for guidance.  For the second time, she had lost. Not to a malevolent god desiring order, no. A man. A man who had the darkness and conviction to do what others could not. Through her tears, all Lavenza could see was this man standing outside, facing the full force of the storm, and only muttering a select few words.

 

_ “The night of reckoning is upon us.” _

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought I was done? That the prologue was just a one-and-done thing? Ha, get owned. But seriously, after the amount of positivity that prologue got, I knew in the back of my head this was a story I wanted to tell. And now that I'm graduated, I can do that! So, try to expect a new chapter at least every two months, at minimum. Don't wanna burn myself out TOO bad, after all. Oh, and feel free to gimme your thoughts, I'd love to hear em! So I hope you all enjoy this, and I'll see you next time!


	3. The Pillagers of Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of reckoning begins, and new alliances must be formed if the heroes have any hope of victory.

September 8th, 2017- 7:13  PM

 

Crimson lightning lit the sky up as Yu, without hesitation, rushed towards the woman who had entered through the twisted portal.  A blue flame enveloped his right hand, and a familiar weapon emerged in the form of a katana. Confusing, sure, but it didn’t matter.  Yu sprinted to Rise’s side as she laid, clutching her head as she recovered from the searing pain. “Who the hell are you?”, he yelled at the invading vixen.  Her eyes widening, the woman began to laugh in response to the question. “Dear, you really should watch your profanity. Let me correct that potty-mouth of yours!”, she yelled, charging at Yu with her bow.  Desperate to protect Rise, the two warriors traded blows with their respective weapons.

 

Meanwhile, the stands erupted into chaos as shadowy monsters emerged from the ground.  One such beast crept over to a woman as she clung to her child, trying to escape in the chaos.  The monster lunged at her, and the woman, embracing her child for the worst was pulled aside by Yusuke while the Shadow was incinerated by a plume of fire.  When the mother looked up, she saw the silhouette of Ann, fully outfitted in her Phantom Thief suit as her Persona, Celestine, stood illuminated behind her. Ryuji ran up beside her, confused as to where their outfits manifested from.  “So we can use our Personas in the real world now?”, the boy asked. Haru jumped down from the stands above them, and responded, “That seems to be the case, Ryuji. We should take advantage of this and help guide the innocents to safety!”  The four of them nodded their heads in agreement, and all split off to protect the bystanders from the swarm of invading Shadows. Smashing the head of a Shadow, Ryuji looked on at Yu as he fought the woman on the stage.  

 

It’s been a while since Yu was in a true battle, and it was evident as he fought against the mysterious woman that the fight was not in his favor.  Swing after swing, she managed to dodge his sword every time before she caught it in between the bow and it’s string, and delivering a powerful kick to his head, sending him flying in Rise’s direction.  “Senpai!”, the idol yelled, as she crawled to his side, helping him up. The dazed leader managed to stand up, and behind him saw two security rush out from behind the stage. Sensing an opportunity, he began to give them orders.

Yu: “You two, get Risette to safety!”

Rise: “Wait, no!”

Yu: “Just do it!”

Officer 1: “C’mon, Miss Kujikawa!”

The two men escorted a struggling Rise off the stage to safety, and Yu turned his full attention to the woman in front of him.  “I won’t ask you a second time, who are you?!” The stranger chuckled, giving Yu a slimy grin. “Who I am doesn’t matter. But what I’m a part of?  That’s the juicy bit. Maybe come closer and I’ll tell you?” Agitated, Yu took a step back and assessed what was happening in the stands, seeing four figures battle against the monsters laying siege to the arena.  “Are those Personas?”, he whispered to himself. Turning back to his adversary, he ran towards her. “Izanagi!!!”, he shouted, and the black-clad god manifested behind him. “How did I do that without a Tarot Card?”, the silver-haired hero thought.  It didn’t matter. He had to take this woman down and get answers. Sword drawn and Persona summoned, he was ready to end this fight, until his enemy pulled off the butterfly mask and shouted one simple word:  

 

_“Aphrodite!”_

 

The woman, now with her Persona adorned in red flames, strolled over to the now crippled Yu.  Aphrodite, a woman glowing pink and white with a dark purple dress, had ran a heart-shaped glaive straight through Izanagi’s chest.  “You wanted to know who I am?”, the vixen sneered to her agonized opponent. “ _We_ are the Pillagers of Twilight.  And now? Well, I know I made Sho a promise to leave you for last, but honestly, we’ll have a lot less trouble to deal with in the long run if you’re dead now.”  Yu could only look on in bewilderment at the stranger who so easily defeated him. “Sho…?”, the man whispered to himself. The woman smiled one more time before raising one of her arrows, ready to end Yu.  “You deserve a better death.”, she chuckled.

 

However, before Inaba’s hero could meet his end, his attacker was met with a powerful punch to the face, courtesy of Ryuji.  “Take that, you edgy bitch!”, the blonde boy excitedly shouted. Due to losing her focus, Aphrodite quickly dissipated, leaving Yu to finally begin to stand and catch his breath.  “You, you’re not my enemy, right?”, he asked.  Ryuji sighed and grabbed Yu’s hand, pulling him to his feet. “I just saved your ass. What do you think?”, Ryuji sarcastically responded.  Yu grunted and gave a dry smile, indicating he got the message.  The two turned their attention towards The Stranger, who was growing increasingly annoyed. “You’ll pay for that, you damn rat!”, she shouted, charging at the two. Before they even had a chance to ready themselves, a pink and green swarm of energy circled around her head, exploding and sending her flying backwards.  

 

The two, dumbfounded, turned around to see Haru, holding her mask out with Lucy behind her, giving an angered look.  “Are you two boys okay?”, the Phantom Thief asked. “Yeah, I’m fine,” Ryuji responded, “but this guy here is in pretty bad shape.”  Haru placed her hand on Yu’s face, using some of her limited healing magic to numb his pain.  

Haru: “What’s your name?”

Yu: “Yu Narukami.”

Haru: “Well, Yu, it seems you’re stuck with us for the time being.”

Ryuji: “Hey, where’s Yusuke and Ann?”

Haru: “They both elected to assist authorities in evacuating everyone from the premises.”

Ryuji: “And Morgana?”

Haru: “With any luck, Mona-chan is still in the van.  However, we’ll focus on him later.”

Yu: “Hey, who even are you guys?  Meeting other Persona users isn’t exactly a common occurrence for me.”

Ryuji: “You’ll find out soon enough.  We have bigger things to worry about right now.”

 

With that, The Stranger stood back up, her eyes bloodshot with rage, her Persona manifesting behind her.  “I will grind you all under my heel!”, she viciously screamed. “Who’s ready for round two?”, asked a boisterous Ryuji.  The three of them readied their stance and wielded their weapons, ready to face the villainess head-on.

  

 

* * *

 

 

The five young adults stood around Akechi in the hotel room as he lay in his pain induced sleep.  Yosuke, clutching the bridge of his nose walks over to his friends and sighs. “So, let me get this straight,” he says to Elizabeth.  

Yosuke: “This is Goro Akechi, as in THE Goro Akechi?”

Elizabeth: “Correct.”  

Yosuke: “The false detective who secretly worked for Masayoshi Shido.”

Elizabeth: “Yep.”

Yosuke: “And he’s actually a Wild Card Persona user like our leader and Aigis.”

Elizabeth: “You got it.”

Yosuke: “And he sacrificed himself for the heroic Phantom Thieves, and has been in his own Velvet Room for the past ten months?”

Elizabeth: “Uh-huh.”  
Yosuke: “And so our old pal Sho Minazuki broke into his Velvet Room, defeated Igor, took this ‘Lavenza’ girl, and nearly killed Akechi?”

Elizabeth: “Bingo!”

Fuuka: “This is quite a lot to take in.”

As the group collectively sighed, trying to comprehend the situation.  Akechi began to twitch and groan. “Guys, I think he’s waking up!”, Chie shouted.  Groggy, Akechi leaned up and groaned, still in pain from Sho’s assault. Looking up, he saw Yosuke putting his arm in front of Yukiko, Fuuka, and Teddie, while Chie and Elizabeth stared at him from the side.  The boy looked around for a little while longer before sighing. “You know, this is my second time waking up from death in a strange room surrounded by people I don’t know, so it’s sorta lost the novelty at this point.”, Akechi grumbled.  Looking back at Elizabeth, he squinted. “Hey, your hair and eyes, you kinda look like a Velvet Roo- _The Velvet Room!_ ”, the boy shouted as he immediately tried to rush out of the bed, only to collapse onto the floor, clutching his sides in pain.  “Your wounds have mostly healed, but please do not try to move so much!”, Elizabeth said as she lifted Akechi back onto his feet. “Well at least we know he can stand!”, Teddie said, to which Yukiko began to chortle to before Fuuka pinched her.  “Well, guess we should catch him up to speed.”, Yosuke sighed.

 

     “So, your names are Yukiko Amagi, Chie Satonaka, Fuuka Yamagishi, Yosuke and Theodore Hanamura, and Elizabeth.  I get that right?”, a drowsy Akechi inquired as he put on a spare pair of jeans with a grey jacket, covering the bandages all over his chest.  “Yeah, that about covers it.”, a despondent Yosuke grumbled. A silence then swept over the room, as though the true gravity of the situation was setting in.  

 

Elizabeth sighed and placed her hand upon the wall, letting her guard down just this once.  “Listen, I need, all of you. I can’t seem to find any other Persona-users, the six of you are all I have.  We _have_ to find my sister, if we have any hope of defeating Sho before it’s too late.”  The group looked around, and Yukiko stepped forward. “Elizabeth, why does Sho have Lavenza in the first place?  What is he trying to accomplish?” Elizabeth sat down onto the bed Akechi once laid upon, and lamented, “I wish I knew, Yukiko.  But it’s been so long since I’ve even been in the Velvet Room, it could be anything. But,”, Elizabeth stood back up, clenching her fist and gritting her teeth, “It’s been over five years since that bastard last showed up.  He surely has a plan of some kind.” The group fell silent once more, before Chie spoke up, raising her fist.

Chie: “It’s been ages since we saw any action, hell yeah we’re in!”

Yukiko: “I’ll be glad to assist.  Things here at the inn have been boring, anyway.”

Teddie: “Count me in!  This’ll be bear-y exciting!”

Chie: “Dude, you’ve been in your human form for like four years, you gotta stop doing that.”

Fuuka: “I’ll be there to support you all, one-hundred percent!”

Yosuke: “Guess I have to join in.  But make no mistake, I’d be lying if I said I was completely okay working with a guy who nearly ruined our country, or worse.”

 

A deafening silence immediately fell over the room again before Yosuke was met with an elbow from Fuuka.

Fuuka: “Yosuke!  Are you serious?”

Yosuke: “Ow, what?  I was jus-”

Akechi: “No, he’s right.  I’d be a fool to deny my role in many lives taken as a result of Shido.  You all have every right to be apprehensive about my involvement.”

Fuuka: “Didn’t you nearly die just trying to protect Lavenza?  That sounds pretty heroic to me.”

Teddie: “Besides, Elizabeth said she needs all the help she can get, right?  You’re stuck with us whether you want it or not!”

Akechi: “That seems to be the case.  Now, which one of you would be considered the ‘leader?’”

 

One by one, the group all pointed at Yosuke, who gave a dejected sigh.  Akechi gave a smug yet sincere smile to the young man, placing his hand upon his shoulder.  “I’ll follow your lead.”, the Wild Card said. Led by Chie, the group placed their fists together in a circle, and agreed to work together.  “So, what do we call ourselves? I was thinking the ‘Lavenza Rescue Squad,’ or LRS!”, the chipper girl said. In response, Yosuke only laughed.  “That is an awful name, but I don’t feel like trying to convince you otherwise. LRS is is!”, the leader proposed.

 

It wasn’t long after though, that their first battle together would soon begin.  One by one, the team’s smartphones began to buzz and vibrate. Fuuka, ever so tech-savvy, pulled out hers and carefully read the headline:

**“Downtown Inaba under violent attack from two terrorists!”**

Before she could continue, an explosion shook the inn, rattling the very room they remained in.  Fuuka continued reading the article, her voice trembling at the words coming out of her mouth. “ _Dozens injured after two masked terrorists mysteriously entered our sleepy town!  Eyewitness reports claim the two had these strange, giant companions bound by chains, glowing an eerie red.  Authorities are urging residents to evacuate the Central Shopping District effective immediately!”_ , the young woman read with fear.  “Strange giant companions? Could they mean Personas?”, asked Chie.  

Yukiko: “That’s not possible!  You have to be in some kind of alternate world to use Personas.”

Elizabeth: “Not quite.  I didn’t realize what was happening at first, but I believe that headache you all received was the result of a spell that allows anyone within the vicinity to have full access to their Persona powers, even in the real world.  Igor instructed us to never use it under any circumstances, so I guess it must be the act of Sho."

Before anyone could respond, all eyes were on Akechi as a blue flame warped around him, leaving him in his familiar red and white princely outfit.  The boy looked at the others and stated, “We need to move, _now._ ”

 

* * *

 

 

 

Chaos had swept the control room of the Shadow Operatives’ headquarters as they noticed the horrifying sight before them.  The control room, nesting on a tower overlooking the massive installation making up the the Shadow Operatives’ base, was in perfect view of the roof of the building, which was currently being overrun by an army of what looked like disfigured automatrons.  They marched towards the command tower in dark synchronization, a red infectious energy coursing through every single one of them. Behind all of them, was one man. He was wearing dark cargo jeans with a harness over his shirtless body. Grenades, dynamite, and other explosives adorned this harness.  The man also had long, black and blue hair that went past his shoulders, giving him an almost psychotic look. His most striking feature was copious amount of scar tissue adorning his body, mostly the left side of his face, appearing to be blind in that eye. Despite not being able to see directly inside the tower, he gave a toothy grin directly to it.  

 

“What the hell is going on, Mitsuru?”, Ren demanded as he placed his hand on her shoulder.  “Those things, they’re anti-Shadow weapons. They were my family’s attempt at creating artificial Persona-users.  It..didn’t end well. Only a couple of them even worked, the rest became disfigured monsters. I thought I had them all destroyed…”, she said.  Before Ren could respond, he turned his attention away to see both Futaba and Makoto engulfed in a familiar blue fire, ending in the two now wearing their Phantom Thief suits.  “Futaba, you mind analyzing this mess.?”, Makoto asked while looking at her suit, wondering how it even still fit. “The air around us, I’m detecting an energy not too dissimilar to the Metaverse.  Guess that explains the killer headache.”, Futaba said.  Mitsuru then marched over to an agent and grabs him by the collar, yelling.  

Mitsuru: “Where on earth is my team?!”

Agent: “Labrys was investigating something in Vietnam when her signal went dark, Aigis is currently unreachable, and Ken was at his university when the wave hit us!”

Makoto: “You mean to tell me we’re sitting ducks with no backup?”

Agent: “I’m afraid so.”

Mitsuru: “Ugh, listen, I need you and every single other basic agent to evacuate the building.  That is not a request, that is an _order_ , now go!”

 

One by one, the agents and employees of the Shadow Operatives evacuated and exited the building, leaving Mitsuru, the Phantom Trio, and a small team of Mitsuru’s best soldiers, to fend for themselves.  

Mitsuru: “Lieutenant Kim, take your men and arm yourselves.  If there’s anyone I want out there with me, it’s your team. As for you,  Phantom Thieves, I know it would be selfish to drag you into a battle that isn’t yours, which is why you do not need to stay if that isn’t-”

Futaba: “‘Not our battle?’  Seriously? What kind of heroes would we be if we just left you and your guys to die?”

Makoto: “We’ll have your back, all the way through.”

Ren: “Oh?  Oh will we now?  Great, just fantastic.”

Makoto: “Look, I know you wanna be done fighting, but I’ve known you long enough that you would ne-”

 

Makoto’s encouraging words were cut off by a small missile smashing through the glass window, obliterating part of the ceiling, and causing the ground beneath them to shake and collapse.  Outside, the man leading the machines grinned and barked orders to the robot firing the rockets. “Hit ‘em with an entire barrage this time.” With that, the corrupted robot launched a volley of missiles from its shoulders straight towards the damaged control room.   

 

“Everyone, to me!”, shouted Futaba, and soon everyone in the room gathered around the teen girl as she summoned her Persona, Al Azif.  With that, numerous glyphs appeared on the ground beneath the group, and a massive green bubble-shaped shield enveloped herself and everyone around her.  Within seconds, the volley of missiles struck the tower and the shield. While it protected the people within, the control room and the rest of the building could not sustain the damage.  “Everyone hang on!”, Futaba screamed. Missile after missile, the shield grew weaker, her body struggling to maintain its strength. Despite her best efforts, the shield shattered, and everyone lost their balance against the crumbling structure.  The last few missiles slammed into the control room, causing the entire tower and everyone in it to collapse onto the main roof of the building in a fiery inferno. Not satisfied yet, the mysterious man and his army marched forth towards the rubble to make sure the job was done.

 

* * *

 

 

The two men leading Rise Kujikawa to safety soon found themselves navigating a labyrinthian maze distorted with dark magic, the very stadium being slowly corrupted from the inside, reminiscent of the twisted corridors of Mementos.  “Please, he needs my help, let me go to Yu!”, a desperate Rise pleaded. “I’m sorry, orders are orders.”, one of the men reluctantly responded. “We can’t risk goi- Oh Jesus, what the hell are those things?!”, the second man yelled.  The trio looked upon two massive Shadows crawling from some kind of dimensional tear in the wall. The monsters looked like the typical Shadows you’d see in Mementos, but something was wrong. They were incomplete, broken, desperately trying to form unique shapes while still being stuck to their generic, more abstract bodies.  They writhed in pain, their only goal being to inflict said pain onto others, more than likely a side effect of being dragged into the real world by some kind of unnatural magic.

 

“Bullets have no effect on these things!”, one of the men yelled while he desperately unloaded his handgun rounds into the Shadows.  Only angering them, one of the Shadows lunged directly towards Rise with a large spiked arm. She closed her eyes expecting the worst, but opened them to see one of her bodyguards, men who were paid to protect her, standing with the spike directly through his abdomen.  His blonde hair and white suit stained from the massive burst of blood, the Shadow dropped him to the ground. Rise and the brown-haired guard ran over to the man and dragged him closer as the three were inched closer and closer to a dead end.

 

With all hope lost, Rise prepared for the end.  Not dying surrounded by loved ones, at peace, but surrounded by men who are about to die for her while she sits idly by.  Suddenly, a beacon of hope emerged. This was not the end. A green, almost windy energy enveloped the Shadows, eviscerating them and reducing the monsters to mere spectral goop.  When Rise looked up to see her savior, the last thing she expected to see was a large-headed cat with a Persona.  

 

Morgana ran over to the trio, and frantically began to to explain things to the scared girl.

Morgana: “Yes, I’m a talking cat.  Yes, I have powers. Yes, I’m here to help you.  Any more questions?”

Rise: “That figure behind you, do you have a Persona too?”

Morgana: “Why yes I- wait, ‘too?’  You know what Personas are?”

Rise: “Yes, I do.  I was trying to get back to the center of the stadium to help my friend, but he wanted me out of the way.  Guess we saw how well that went.”

Morgana: “It seems we have a mutual interest in heading back to the stage to help our friends.  Perhaps we could accompany each other on the way back?”

Rise: “I’d be more than glad to.  Oh, Mister Watanabe, please get your colleague out of this stadium so the doctors can help him!”

Watanabe: “But…!”

Rise: “That’s an order.”

Reluctantly, Watanabe hoisted his injured partner onto his shoulders, and turned back to his employer, giving her a sincere smile.  “Good luck.”, the kind man uttered. Rise smiled and nodded, content with her decision. While the two men made their way to the exit, Rise turned back to Morgana.  “Alright, let’s get on with it, you...cat...thing...the hell’s your name again?” The two exchanged proper formalities as they ran back towards the center of the stadium.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Yosuke, leading his makeshift Persona team down the streets of Inaba towards the Central Shopping District, gave his teammates the signal to stop as the six of them came face-to-face with the two people responsible for the destruction.  Cars were on fire and shops were trashed, the starry night sky becoming eclipsed by the gray smoke emerging from all the fire. “Alright guys,” Yosuke remarked, “No crazy heroics. Our goal is to keep them away from rescue crews, incapacitate them, and hopefully get some answers.”  The five others nodded their heads in agreement, and they confronted the evil duo directly.  

 

“The hell are you psychos doing to our town!?”, an angry Chie shouted, trying to hold back tears as she watched her home burn.  The two simply chuckled, and the woman stepped forward. Yosuke put his hand in front of his teammates to prevent them from moving, and he shot the invaders a piercing glare.  “What she said. Give us answers or things will get ugly.” The man tried to walk forward, only to be stopped by the woman, who laughed and smiled at Yosuke. “You’ve got spunk, kiddo, and I like that.  With a cute face like that, I can only be honest!” The woman gave a raspy cackles while her partner gave a low chuckle, the two simply laughing off the group.

 

Yosuke’s team, growing restless, began to march forward.  “Give us what we want to know and nobody needs to be hurt.”, Akechi calmly proclaimed.  “Well, if you insist.”, the woman responded. “My name is Ikumi Hishikara, and this is my little brother, Ryoto.  Granted, the age difference is only two minutes, but it’s enough to make me the elder sibling!”  

Fuuka: “Enough.  Why are you here?”

Ikumi: “We are here, acting as part of a larger group, The Pillagers of Twilight.”

Teddie: “How is causing so much destruction helpful to these ‘Pillager’ friends of yours?”

Ikumi: “Simply put, our one goal is to make sure no Persona-wielders escape this town.  And if our source is correct, it seems five of you match descriptions of them. However…”

 

Ikumi raised her crooked left finger directly at Akechi, and gave a curious look.  “He never said anything about handsome lad in a bird suit. Whatever, more fun for us.”  Akechi worriedly turned to Yosuke and the others, and whispered, “First Sho attacks the Velvet Room, then these ‘Pillagers’ show up?  This cannot be a coincidence.” Fuuka nods her head in agreement, stating “As far as he knows, Akechi is dead. It actually makes sense that these two wouldn’t know who he is, if Sho really is working with them.”  Chie suddenly spoke up again, yelling to Ikumi and Ryoto. “Well as you can see, there’s six of us, and two of you. Sounds like pretty unfair odds to me.”, the brash girl said. The Pillagers looked at each other and laughed once more, and Ikumi retorted to her brother, “Well, we don’t wanna keep our compatriots in Tokyo and Tatsumi Port Island waiting, let’s end this quickly.  You first, little brother.” With a grunt of compliance, Ryoto lumbered towards the heroes, twin cleavers in hand. Tearing the goggles off his face, he shouted one single phrase as his Persona formed behind him: 

 

“ _Rip em, Jack!_ ”

 

Ryoto, with his Persona and sister behind him, charged at the LRS, planning to end the night quickly.  Yosuke, Akechi, and everyone else prepared their weapons and powers, ready to defend Inaba, and do what’s right.  The two groups soon charged at one another, and clashed for the fate of the world.

 

* * *

 

 

 

_“Futaba…”_

 

_“Futaba…”_

 

_“Futaba!!”_

 

Coughing up soot and dust, the injured Futaba finally managed to open her eyes to the sight of crumbling metal and cement, and to Mistruru, who shook her back into consciousness.  “Glad you’re awake, kid. You saved our lives up there.” Mitsuru motioned to her left, and Futaba turned to see Lieutenant Kim and her soldiers standing behind her, hurt, but alive nonetheless.  Kim stepped forward and helped Futaba to her feet, brushing the dirt off the young girl. “Two of my men are unaccounted for, but that shield of yours saved our asses. You have my gratitude.”  

 

As the group decided what to do next, the sound of a huge chunk of debris folding over interrupted everyone.  Kim raised her rifle and Mitsuru began to unsheathe her blade, only to be met with Makoto and one of Kim’s men seemingly dragging an unconscious soldier to rest of the group.  Kim snickered, saying “Well, nevermind. Guess that’s everyone.” Makoto handed the injured officer to Kim and Mitsuru, before rushing over to Futaba and giving her a hug. “Thank god, I thought I lost you!”, Makoto cried, tears streaming through her iron mask.  

Futaba: “Aw, Queen, you’re so clingy!”

Makoto: “Well, I did promise Ren I would be your honorary big sister.”

Futaba: “Wait, where is Ren?  I thought he was with you, Makoto?”

Makoto: “Wait, what?  I thought he was with _you guys!_ ”

Mitsuru: “I’m afraid not, I’ve been scouring the wreckage, and I haven’t gotten a sight of him.”

Makoto: “Well, we’ve gotta search for him some more, maybe if we do it togeth-”

Kim: “Makoto, this rubble is barely holding together as is, it’s a miracle it was able to even make a pocket of space this big.  This ‘room’ can come tumbling down at any given moment, we can’t risk staying here.”  

Makoto: “But…”

Mitsuru: “Kim’s right.  We either get crushed in here, or face the army of corrupted automatrons out there.”

 

In denial, Makoto punched the ground, screaming.  Futaba placed a calming hand on her friend’s face, and gave a slight smile.  “Everything will be okay. Joker’s gotten out of worse, right?”, the orange-haired navigator said.  Makoto managed to force a smile back, and nodded to the others. Mitsuru unsheathed her rapier, and began to lead everyone outside, including the injured officer who recently awoke.  

 

With Futaba in her Persona, and a squad of seven highly trained men behind them, the trio of Kim, Makoto, and Mitsuru emerged from the rubble to face their enemy head-on.  The man leading the machines, playfully tossing a grenade and catching it, took notice of the trio and stopped. “Oh, you all survived? Shame.”, the blue-haired villain said.  Mitsuru raised her blade directly towards him, and began to make demands.

Mitsuru: “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Stranger: “Who, little old me?  I’m here on behalf of my team, the Pillagers of Twilight.  My job, is to cause a little distraction to the biggest threat to my leader’s goals.”  
Makoto: “Team?  Distraction? Leader?  Just who are you?”

Stranger: “‘Who am I?’  Why, I’m almost offended Miss Kirijo doesn’t recognize me.”

Mitsuru: “What?  I’ve never seen anyone like you in my life!”

Stranger: “Really, does the name ‘Shin Jirato’ ring a bell?

 

With this question, Mitsuru collapsed, gripping her sword with a tight fury.  “You...I...we watched you die!!”, she yelled. Shin laugher her off, shaking his head.  “Well as you can see, I am very much alive. Turns out the benefits of having a Persona include surviving several bombs exploding on your person at once!  Although…” Shin began to rub the scarred side of his face, sighing. “Though I didn’t escape unscathed, I lived. I wandered aimlessly, questioning my purpose.  But now, I have a new mission! To help my new friends, and honor my master’s legacy!”, the damaged man shouted. Mitsuru stood once again, and raised her sword. “Our past does not matter.  Whatever your intentions are, I will not let them come to pass. If it’s a battle you want, so be it.”  

 

With that declaration of war, Shin snickered and pointed towards the group, sending his army of corrupted machines to attack them.  Makoto readied her gauntlets, Kim loaded her rifle, Futaba fixed her glasses within Al Azif, and with Mitsuru leading the charge against Shin and his dark army, the battle for Tatsumi Port Island had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! This definitely came later than I was hoping, but I wanna try for a more consistent schedule. So you can definitely expect Chapter Four sometime in October-November. As usual, please leave any thoughts or criticism, and I'll see everyone next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This has been a personal experiment of mine to see if anyone would like this idea. I do have another story I am working on, Crow's Gambit, which is on hiatus for the most part, though I do intend on revisiting it at some point. In any case, I'd love for any and all feedback on this little experiment.


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